Flowers Recovery Mile Sea Swim - Cayman at our best !

As promised, coverage of the Flowers Sea Swim. This year, the annual one mile swim was renamed the "Recovery Mile", as local companies donated all kinds of services to the "live free for a year" fund. Ten local families in all five districts of Grand Cayman were selected as being in need after Ivan. Three were drawn at random at the presentations after the race and will "live free for a year". This will also include year long coverage on local television and should prove to be a positive and uplifting story, the sort of thing we all need here. We are tough people, but we all need a little lift sometimes.

Anyway, to the swim. As it always seems to be for sea swims, it was a gorgeous day. Hundreds of swimmers set off from the Ritz Carlton beach, swimming North to the beach across the road from Courtyard by Marriott.

Whilst it was a typical hot and sunny summers day, a light ocean breeze took a little edge of the heat (as I was walking the course, I was happy for the breeze!).

After the race, all finishers waited around for the random prize drawing. 1 in 5 finishers won a prize.... including my two boys, including my 7 year old, who was the source of great amusement as he excitedly ran up to the stage to collect his... cellphone ! A 7 year old who had managed to finish a one mile sea swim, then got a cellphone ? His grin looked like his birthday and xmas rolled into one.

Anyway, a few photos :

Hundreds of swimmers blast off at the horn to start the race :



Swimmers in full flow


Swimmers took from 17 minutes to 70 minutes to finish, so they were well spread out along the course, keeping the safety marshals in boats, kayaks and on the beach alert.



Of course I am sure that the speech by the Leader of Government Business was scintillating, but I'm guessing most of the crowd were thinking (I hope I win a Cayman Airways ticket... or a cellphone) :)